Brasília, 10/28/2026 – The National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ) has published the fifth edition of Blue Research, a scientific journal created to disseminate research, studies, and development and innovation initiatives related to the waterway sector. The new edition brings together the three winning technical-scientific articles from the ANTAQ Award 2025.
An unprecedented product of the Agency, the periodical connects researchers, academia, the productive sector, and public authorities, expanding the circulation of knowledge produced in the segment.
Conceived by ANTAQ's Superintendent of ESG and Innovation, Cristina Castro, the initiative arose from an observation: scientific works recognized by the ANTAQ Award, especially in the Technical-Scientific Article category, remained available on the Agency's website but had limited reach.
The first version was the publication of the three winning works in the category in 2024. From then on, the journal underwent an editorial structuring process, with the definition of norms, selection criteria, and benchmarking with educational and research institutions: "It is a way to disseminate research, development, and innovation. We really wanted something that would institutionalize knowledge and this as a center for research, development, and innovation," explains Cristina.
From Award to Research
Blue Research established a direct connection with the ANTAQ Award: the top three placed in the Technical-Scientific Article category have their works published in the periodical in the year following the award.
In addition to the award-winning works, the journal has its own call for papers for article submission. The texts undergo curation and peer review in a blind review system, following defined criteria and norms for publication.
The first edition was launched in March 2025 and brought together 13 chapters produced exclusively by women in the waterway sector, with topics such as regulation, concession, and inspection.
Knowledge as an Instrument of Innovation
The publication is part of the Agency's strategy to expand the dissemination of research, development, and innovation (RD&I) related to the waterway sector: "We use data from internal studies of the sector. We have so many numbers and statistics at the Agency that it would be a shame if we kept everything to ourselves," says the superintendent.
The journal also seeks to internationalize the knowledge produced about the Brazilian waterway sector. The English title reflects this strategy to expand the circulation of studies and give national and international visibility to the research developed in the segment: "The idea is to internationalize the journal. It is a way to give visibility to the project, to become known nationally and internationally, and for our country to be known for good practices in research, development, and innovation through ANTAQ," highlights Cristina.
Triple Helix
Blue Research adopts the triple helix perspective, bringing together universities, the productive sector, and government in the construction of knowledge and innovation.
Among the topics that can be addressed are blue economy and sustainable development, maritime law and port regulation, logistics and operational efficiency, technological innovation, ESG, public policies, and integration with the market, among other subjects related to the waterway sector: "The journal is a way to disseminate knowledge, making available to people the research carried out on the waterway sector," summarizes Cristina.
